400 YEARS AGO, HERE ...

I guess the birth of a new nation can't just be simplified in a single event that happen in a certain location. This is true also for a young country like the US. But, if there is a place where the root of the US started to work, that place is here in Jamestown, VA. Today I went to visit this historical site and I learned a lot about the first baby steps of the English venture here in North America. Basically back in the December of 1606 three tiny English ships part of a private venture sailed from London, for the first time, to the "new world" ...

Spain and Portugal were already too powerful and busy to care about this expedition. And North America wasn't as rich of Gold as the Center and South, so they had the OK t ocome here to make their business ...

So, after a journey of 122 days on May 14th 1607, exactly 400 years ago, the three tiny ships got exactly here and they installed the first settlement ...

The expedition was very far from successful. Even if the local Indians were friendly, and they were living side by side with the white people ...

... the settlers died one after the other for all type of diseases. Even for famine. And the English crown was not really interested in these expeditions, and was not supporting them. And the location of the settlement was not even that good. They didn't even access to clean fresh water. So in 1975 it was abandoned. And new cities were founded. Today all the area is an archaeological park with a lot of the "primitive" village rebuilt. Even the three original ships have been reconstructed. I have to admit that despite my initial doubts this visit turned out in one of the most interesting historical visits in US, so far. I definitely learned a lot. Also small details. For example the name Virginia is a dedication to the Queen Elizabeth I who at the time of the expedition she was already dead. Elizabeth never got married. And because of that her nickname was The Virgin Queen. From there the name Virginia. The name Jamestown is a dedication to the actual King of that period, James. And also the story of Pocahontas did happen here in Jamestown. I never watch the Walt Disney cartoon, but I guess I will have to watch it now. And I think that also the movie "The new world" was based on her true story.